


The Years In-Between

by Gh0sTwRyT3r



Series: Equivalent Exchange [1]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Kingdom Hearts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-22 17:00:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6087534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gh0sTwRyT3r/pseuds/Gh0sTwRyT3r
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ed lived in Traverse Town for three years before Sora arrived.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Year 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed had been living in Traverse Town for a year. A year without his brother.

Title:  The Years in Between

Chapter Title:  Year 1

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood/ Kingdom Hearts

Characters:  Ed, Cid, Leon, Aerith

Rating:  T

Chapter Summary:  Ed had been living in Traverse Town for a year.  A year without his brother.

Authoress Ramblings:  Welcome to the first chapter of _The Years in Between_ , which covers the three years between _Amestris Falls_ and _The Journey Begins_ in _To the End of the World_. This chapter is short...really short...

* * *

 

It had been a year since Amestris fell, and Ed found himself back on the roof of the gizmo shop, lying on his back, staring up at the worlds above. The last year had been difficult, adjusting to not having Al around, to not having Winry to fix his limbs, to not having the Colonel ordering him around. He never thought he’d miss that. The really hard part was the loss of his alchemy; he hadn't even been able to transmute his arm blade. For every difficulty he’d encountered, his new friends were willing to help. Merlin taught Ed magic when he realized he couldn’t use alchemy, Cid had learned how to maintain his automail and procured a spear for him, Yuffie trained with him, and Aerith and Leon were like older (slightly annoying) siblings. He still missed everyone from Amestris horribly, and was determined to get them back, but was making frustratingly little progress; the journal he’d discovered had been left behind when Amestris was destroyed. There was precious little to go on, as apparently he’d been in possession of one of only two copies of the journal, and the other was missing as well.

          “Leon said you’d be up here.”

Aerith was peering over the top of the ladder at him. He rolled over to look at her.

          “Today…wasn’t a good day.”

          “It’s been a year, right? I can’t say it gets easier…it’s been six years since our world fell…”

They never meant to make Ed feel bad, but every time one of them brought up just how long they’d been away from their world, he felt like shit for acting the way he had.

          “Sorry.”

          “Don’t apologize…we’ve been where you are.”

Ed gave her a weak smile, it wasn’t very convincing.

          “I’ll be down soon.”

          “Take your time.” He heard her drop from the ladder and her footsteps fade away as he rolled back over to face the sky.

          “I’ll find you, Al. And Mustang. Somehow…”


	2. Year 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed had been living in Traverse Town for two years. It hadn’t gotten any easier, but it wasn’t as difficult.

Title:  The Years in Between

Chapter Title:  Year 2

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood/ Kingdom Hearts

Characters:  Ed, Cid, Leon, Aerith

Rating:  T

Chapter Summary:  Ed had been living in Traverse Town for two years. It hadn’t gotten any easier, but it wasn’t as difficult.

Authoress Ramblings:  Welcome to the second chapter of _The Years in Between_ , which covers the three years between _Amestris Falls_ and _The Journey Begins_ in _To the End of the World_. Longer than the first by 31 or so words...

* * *

 It had been two years since Amestris fell, and, like the previous year, Ed found himself back on the roof of the gizmo shop, lying on his back, staring up at the worlds above.

He still wasn’t any closer to saving his world, or the people, even with the information he’d been able to get from Leon and the others, and it was too dangerous to go looking himself, too risky for Cid to put together a gummi ship for Ed to go off looking for Al and Mustang. He didn’t even know if they were alive. Even with those setbacks, it had been a decent year…

He’d celebrated Christmas for the first time; having hid in his room at Leon’s the year before. It had ended up as a discussion of their different holidays and traditions. And Yuffie had kissed him under the mistletoe.

Aerith had insisted on celebrating his birthday, asking when it was (and how old he was (1)) mere days before it. He hadn’t really celebrated it in a while (2), but there everyone was, cake, presents, the whole deal.  He’d taken a moment to remember Elicia who would have been five.

He’d grown some, causing need for a new leg, a new wardrobe (provided by Leon and altered by Aerith), and a week of awkward hobbling while Cid figured the leg out.

Al’s birthday had been harder than his own; it had been a reminder that his brother wasn’t where he was supposed to be, more so than it had been in the past.

He’d allowed himself time to grieve, over the people he’d lost before the world was destroyed, and those who were destroyed along with it; over Hughes (3), and over Fuery, Falman and Breda, over Havoc, and over Hawkeye…and over Al and Mustang.

          “Hey, kid! I know you’re up there! Aerith wants us all over for supper!”

Ed smiled, after the year before; he’d figured Aerith would do something this year to help cheer him up.

          “I’m coming!” he called down to Cid, before looking up at the worlds above, “I haven’t given up. I’m coming for you, Al.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Footnotes! I had a love affair with footnotes once upon a time (thank you _Bartimaeus Trilogy_ and _Good Omens_ ).
> 
> 1: Ed is 17
> 
> 2: Ed's last birthday celebration was Elicia's third birthday, just before Hughes died.
> 
> 3: Hughes died a few months before _Amestris Falls_ (chapter 1 of TtEotW). This was never meant to be a Maes Hughes fix it, he would have died anyway. Changing how he died was pointless when the end result was inevitable.


	3. Year 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ed had been living in Traverse Town with Leon and the others for three years when the past catches up to them.

Title:  The Years in Between

Chapter Title:  Year 3

Fandom: Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood/ Kingdom Hearts

Characters:  Ed, Cid, Leon, Aerith

Rating:  T

Chapter Summary:  Ed had been living in Traverse Town with Leon and the others for three years when the past catches up to them.

Authoress Ramblings:  Welcome to the final chapter of _The Years in Between_ , which covers the three years between _Amestris Falls_ and _The Journey Begins_ in _To the End of the World_. If you ever see where my math doesn’t add up, let me know so I can fix it. 

* * *

 

It had been three years since Amestris fell, and unlike the previous years, Ed was not on the roof of the gizmo shop, having spotted some Heartless on his way there. He’d frozen in place when the black creatures had crossed his path, not seeming to notice him, before snapping out of it and running towards Merlin’s instead, hoping to find Leon. He was not disappointed, actually tripping over his friend in the old wizard’s house.

          “Ed, are you alright?”

          “I just ran across some Heartless in the Second District.”

          “What?! You’re sure?”

If he hadn’t seen the Heartless himself, he’d have the same reaction so he forgave Leon his reaction. The duo left the wizard and headed around town to gather their friends, running into a few more packs of Heartless, eliminating Leon’s doubt.

          “How did they get here? I thought we were safe.”

          “Same way they got to other worlds, I assume.”

The whole group was gathered in Cid’s shop, taking up the couches in the corner.

          “I trust everyone saw the Heartless on their way over?”

Leon’s question was met with a general affirmative and worry.

          “We aren’t going to lose Traverse Town. I won’t let that happen.” _Not again._ Leon didn’t need to speak the words for Ed to know what he was feeling, he felt the same. They’d already lost one home, no one wanted to see it be two. He stood up.

          “Neither will I.”

Leon told them about the strange letter he had received a few days ago, about watching out for the Key Bearer, and some representatives from the Disney Kingdom.

          “Well, looks like we got work to do!”

The group dispersed for the day, each going their separate ways.

\--

Ed was exhausted, he’d been up late the night before, going over everything he’d pulled together about the worlds and the Heartless, most of it coming from what he remembered from the journal.

He yawned and eyed the sofas in the corner of the shop with a longing eye.  A quick nap, no one was coming in, Cid would never have to know…except he would. He always seemed to know when Ed was napping instead of working. Not that there was ever much work to do…

 


End file.
